COLOMBO: Sri Lanka has received the first tranche of an IMF bailout programme, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament on Wednesday (Mar 22). The crisis-ridden island nation was scheduled to receive a US$330 million tranche, the first part of a nearly US$3 billion bailout approved by the International Monetary Fund onContinue Reading
SEOUL: South Korea on Tuesday (Mar 21) announced a “watch-list” to prevent export of items linked to North Korea’s satellite development, days after Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan. A total of 77 materials on the list will be bannedContinue Reading
Malaysia has no clear law policing private companies making financial contributions to political parties. Bersatu leaders, including Muhyiddin, have accused the government of mounting a political vendetta against the opposition in a bid to undermine the party ahead of crucial polls in six states sometime in June or July. ButContinue Reading
COLOMBO: Bankrupt Sri Lanka’s hospitals were crippled and transport disrupted on Wednesday (Mar 15) as trade unions protested against the doubling of taxes to qualify for a crucial IMF bailout. Schools cancelled term tests and outpatient departments at hospitals closed due to the work stoppage that involved more than 40Continue Reading
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s president said on Tuesday (Mar 7) that China had agreed to restructure its loans to the bankrupt island nation, clearing the final obstacle to a long-awaited International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. An unprecedented economic crisis has seen Sri Lanka’s 22 million people suffer acute food, fuel andContinue Reading
Varun Arora, a 37-year-old investment professional, said he is looking to upgrade from his current rented apartment to the DLF development which he said he likes for its grand reception area, high-speed elevators and enough area to jog without having to leave the complex. “Having a green, open, clean spaceContinue Reading
“HUMANS STILL DOMINATE” Some manga artists welcome the new possibilities offered by the technology. “I don’t really see AI as a threat – rather, I think it can be a great companion,” Madoka Kobayashi, whose career spans over 30 years, told AFP. Artificial intelligence can “help me visualise what IContinue Reading
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s inflation will remain above 5 per cent in the first half of 2023, mainly on high food prices, before falling below 4 per cent in the second half, central bank Governor Perry Warjiyo said on Sunday (Mar 5), warning that the fight to control inflation must continue. “TheContinue Reading
BEIJING: China will deepen financial reform and improve its regulatory regime to guard against risks to the economy, and further open up to foreign investment, Premier Li Keqiang said on Sunday (Mar 5). The government will fend off risks for high-quality property firms and reduce the burden of interest paymentsContinue Reading
BEIJING: China Renaissance Holdings said in an exchange filing on Sunday (Feb 26) that its missing chairman and star dealmaker Bao Fan was currently cooperating with relevant Chinese authorities conducting an investigation. This is the first time the China-based boutique bank has given a reason for the disappearance of its founder,Continue Reading